This will be a transformational approach that the United States Marine Corps will undertake to improve its air capabilities, as both fleets of KC-130J Super Hercules and MV-22 Osprey are to be enabled as missile-slinging and electronic warfare platforms.
Under this ambitious plan, the Marines intend to enhance their close air support and surveillance ability as part of the Navy’s distributed lethality strategy.
The USMC plans to equip each of the 79 KC-130J Super Hercules transports with the most sophisticated armament and sensor packages, analogous to the Harvest Hawk program.
Unlike the bolt-on kits developed earlier, these will be more fixed in place, with high-end L3/Wescam FLIR/electro-optical sensors and laser designators on board.
The aircraft will carry Hellfire, Griffin, and Viper Strike missiles, thereby making the platform more lethal.
A significant member of the KC-130J’s arsenal is the Intrepid Tiger electronic warfare pod, a system originally developed for urgent aerial jamming support in Iraq and Afghanistan and capable of selectively jamming enemy communications while eavesdropping on conversations. It fits with the thrust to a more distributed control of airborne capabilities, under which ground forces can direct electronic attacks as needed.
The Osprey fleet is also evolving. The aircraft will be upgraded with sensor balls that can use laser designation and possibly other new armaments like laser-guided rockets and Viper Strike munitions.
The Marines are now even contemplating the deployment of Switchblade-type throw-able drones, which would be available on the Osprey in backlit form.
These updates will give persistent overwatch, jamming support, and close air support with better efficiency than both the traditional fast jets and attack helicopters.
The KC-130J and the Osprey have an impressive range and loitering capacity; they will best fit those of the extended missions with an overall support package from start to end.
However, the USMC still has many challenges in fully implementing these enhancements. First, funding is an ongoing concern, as it’s necessary to put aside budgets for maintenance and rejuvenation of already existing aircraft.
Moreover, training for the aircrews to conduct such new capabilities would require flight hours to go up substantially and simulators available in considerable quantities to keep proficiency at their best levels.
The future of the Harvest Hawk armament kit for the KC-130J is unknown, as the Marine Corps studies its utility in high-end conflicts.
The kit has proven to be valued in counterinsurgency operations but remains questionable in likely high-intensity conflicts, especially in the Pacific. A plausible alternative will be a stand-off munitions integration, such as the Air Force’s Rapid Dragon system.
The Intrepid Tiger II electronic warfare system would take the KC-130J to a whole new level. This system comes with jamming and ISR functionality that greatly contributes to force protection and situational awareness.
The Marines are checking on some newer uncrewed aircraft to complement their electronic warfare capabilities.
Considering the dynamic threats and operation requirements against which the USMC has to align, this change in its KC-130J and Osprey fleets seems a strategic choice toward more flexible and capable air support platforms.